19 June 2013, uWo Interview Of RevMarcBz and Christi Bersaglia by C.H. Qualls at Corryton Church Knoxville
CH: Marcus How long have you done uWo and what caused you to start the ministry?
Bz: 16 July 2010 was the day. It came about one Saturday watching TV, Knoxville was in the middle of a heat wave then and the weather man said something like
“it’s been 72 days over 90 degrees”. So a little voice in my head says “I bet theys thirsty folks out there..” So the next morning, before church I went out on the bike and ran a little route per say, just scouting around you know. Once at church I told my crazy idea to a friend annnnd… the next Sunday we was out handing out bottles. Now here’s the kicker, Ok. The first guy I roll up on,( im on the bike and Vernons in the car), he’s diggin in a garbage can and looks like Santa Claus with the beard and all and so I ask him if he’d like water. He looks at me funny and I thought I had offended him because the Homiez don’t like being called Homeless. So he’s looking at me and I’ve pulled two bottles out of my saddlebags to hand to him and he starts to cry. He said he had been praying for something to drink and was diggin in the can to see if someone had thrown a drink a way. That we had answered aprayer….So at that point you know that although you’ve had these thoughts about if you are doing the right thing, was it the Holy Spirit talking or just a novel idea in your head, that his words confirmed it. uWo became real with the first person.
CH: Christina how will these bottles of water that we collected be used?
Christi: Not only are these bottles blessing to those who are getting they are opportunities for us to build a relationship and establish trust with people who society has deemed unwanted. Once the relationship has begun then we can start praying with them and telling the Gospel. It opens doors that otherwise would be closed.
CH: Christina the collage students here have jumped in and helped uWo, talk about that and how them serving has helped out
Christi: To see these students interact and actually chase people down to tell them their story and ask thiers and …..it’s awesome. Seth actually went after a guy who was trying to avoid us and started talking with him and it was a great thing to see. The students have built relationships with the Homiez and if they miss they are asked about. The Homiez look foreward to their time with uWo.
CH: You see not all the kids get to go all the time (to the crowd)
Chirsti: Yea there is always students but with holidays and meetings they don’t all get to come every time, but uWo is out there rain , sleet, snow, Christmas day, Christmas Eve, Easter, Fathers Day etc..
CH: That’s good stuff, good stuff. Marcus who does uWo minister to and what assistance does it provide?
Bz: Well to the Homiez alone its babywipes, towels, hygene stuff, food items, water, soap, and in the winter there is blankets and hats, just basic survival
stuff really. Now theHOmiez is athe flagship for uWo, that will always be the mainstay for sure. uWo has grown and branched out as well, I teach in a teen rehab center 4 days a week its a level 3 lockdown facility.
We do events for the Tennessee Baptist Childrens Homes, which we just done one this past Saturday where the wives got together and made candy bags, brought a message, had raffle prizes and banana split makings for the kids and it a break for the house parents also..
We have the music ministry of Sixer Six, playing Rock, Country, Punk and Psychobilly all with Christs’ message in it. Been playing cancer benefits, DARE program events, Blood drives, Churches, Festivals Etc..
There is the C-Boyz SK8 ministry that’s new and like all things it takes a while to establish yourself out there, they have to get used to seeing you and then know you, it took 3 years for the uWO to get here…
We help out with Butterfly Ministrys which goes to the old folks homes taking magazines, flowers, cards, chap stick sometime music and always attention and a listening ear.
And now we have started into Theatrics where we go and put on small plays and skits for youth groups and churches teaching how to Biblically reason through a moral decision.
It’s ahh kinda grown.
CH: Marcus How long have you done uWo and what caused you to start the ministry?
Bz: 16 July 2010 was the day. It came about one Saturday watching TV, Knoxville was in the middle of a heat wave then and the weather man said something like
“it’s been 72 days over 90 degrees”. So a little voice in my head says “I bet theys thirsty folks out there..” So the next morning, before church I went out on the bike and ran a little route per say, just scouting around you know. Once at church I told my crazy idea to a friend annnnd… the next Sunday we was out handing out bottles. Now here’s the kicker, Ok. The first guy I roll up on,( im on the bike and Vernons in the car), he’s diggin in a garbage can and looks like Santa Claus with the beard and all and so I ask him if he’d like water. He looks at me funny and I thought I had offended him because the Homiez don’t like being called Homeless. So he’s looking at me and I’ve pulled two bottles out of my saddlebags to hand to him and he starts to cry. He said he had been praying for something to drink and was diggin in the can to see if someone had thrown a drink a way. That we had answered aprayer….So at that point you know that although you’ve had these thoughts about if you are doing the right thing, was it the Holy Spirit talking or just a novel idea in your head, that his words confirmed it. uWo became real with the first person.
CH: Christina how will these bottles of water that we collected be used?
Christi: Not only are these bottles blessing to those who are getting they are opportunities for us to build a relationship and establish trust with people who society has deemed unwanted. Once the relationship has begun then we can start praying with them and telling the Gospel. It opens doors that otherwise would be closed.
CH: Christina the collage students here have jumped in and helped uWo, talk about that and how them serving has helped out
Christi: To see these students interact and actually chase people down to tell them their story and ask thiers and …..it’s awesome. Seth actually went after a guy who was trying to avoid us and started talking with him and it was a great thing to see. The students have built relationships with the Homiez and if they miss they are asked about. The Homiez look foreward to their time with uWo.
CH: You see not all the kids get to go all the time (to the crowd)
Chirsti: Yea there is always students but with holidays and meetings they don’t all get to come every time, but uWo is out there rain , sleet, snow, Christmas day, Christmas Eve, Easter, Fathers Day etc..
CH: That’s good stuff, good stuff. Marcus who does uWo minister to and what assistance does it provide?
Bz: Well to the Homiez alone its babywipes, towels, hygene stuff, food items, water, soap, and in the winter there is blankets and hats, just basic survival
stuff really. Now theHOmiez is athe flagship for uWo, that will always be the mainstay for sure. uWo has grown and branched out as well, I teach in a teen rehab center 4 days a week its a level 3 lockdown facility.
We do events for the Tennessee Baptist Childrens Homes, which we just done one this past Saturday where the wives got together and made candy bags, brought a message, had raffle prizes and banana split makings for the kids and it a break for the house parents also..
We have the music ministry of Sixer Six, playing Rock, Country, Punk and Psychobilly all with Christs’ message in it. Been playing cancer benefits, DARE program events, Blood drives, Churches, Festivals Etc..
There is the C-Boyz SK8 ministry that’s new and like all things it takes a while to establish yourself out there, they have to get used to seeing you and then know you, it took 3 years for the uWO to get here…
We help out with Butterfly Ministrys which goes to the old folks homes taking magazines, flowers, cards, chap stick sometime music and always attention and a listening ear.
And now we have started into Theatrics where we go and put on small plays and skits for youth groups and churches teaching how to Biblically reason through a moral decision.
It’s ahh kinda grown.